Loyalty by E.J. Noyes is a not-a-spy, not-an-espionage, kind of romantic suspense type book. It’s book three in the Halycon Division series and has the most amazing main character to swoon over.
Intelligence analyst Lexie Martin is back on home soil after a six-month assignment she didn’t want to be on, in a country she didn’t want to be in. Facing the failure of both the assignment and her personal life, Lexie isn’t feeling as important as she’s being led to believe. But according to the head of Halcyon, apparently important is what she is.
Lexie is the only person on earth who can crack the password to a bunch of top-secret files, so naturally she gives it all she’s got. Suddenly things are looking up, Lexie has reconnected with her girlfriend Sophia Flores, she has a job she’s happy to complete, and finally, Lexie can get back on track. But as she tries to unlock the files for her new-not-new-boss she starts to realise that not everything is as it seems. When secrets and betrayals are uncovered, Lexie is shocked to find out who the enemy really is.
Writing
Noyes is one of the most talented writers we have in the sapphic community, every story she writes is a wonder to read, she evolves with each book, and with Loyalty, she exceeded my exceptions.
In Loyalty Noyes has shown her talent for making a character relatable and likeable, regardless of their situation or occupation. Lexie Martin is so well-written and developed that I feel like I know her, I adore her, and my god am I going to miss her. This book has the same if not more wit, banter, and humor as the previous books in this series Integrity and Leverage, and once again it lightens what is at times an intense story.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
I’ve been on a countdown waiting not so patiently for this book for six months, now it’s here, I’ve finished it, and I’m sad. Not because the book isn’t brilliant, in fact, it’s beyond brilliant. But because I feel like I’m saying goodbye to a friend who I’ve watched blossom and grow. We’ve been through a lot together Lexie and I and I’m going to miss her tremendously.
Loyalty picks up where Leverage left us hanging. Im going to be a bit vague because although each book could be read as a standalone, and the author gives a great recap at the beginning of books two and three I highly recommend starting this journey with Integrity, you will not be sorry.
Lexie has a new-ish boss which is revealed at the end of book two Leverage. She’s had more than a rough time of it for the better part of a year and is ready to find her equilibrium. Obviously, that’s not going to happen very easily otherwise there wouldn’t be a story to tell. Poor Lexie has a few more obstacles to overcome before her mission is complete. We learned in the previous book that Lexie is important to the secret organization she works for (that’s right she has two jobs) Halcyon. That importance is revealed: Lexie is the only person on earth who can work out the code to reveal the password to some very sensitive top-secret files. What seems on the surface to be a time-consuming task that requires her to use a lot of brain power, turns out to be so much more.
The reader gets to find out more about Lexie and her past, what makes her who she is today, and why she is so secretive, even with things that are not a threat to national security. What I love about this book is that we get to see how far Lexie has come. She’s not completely changed, but she has grown, learned from her mistakes, and is trying to be a better version of herself.
The friend-mance that sparked and grew in Leverage flourishes in Loyalty and I’ve got to say I adore it just as much as the actual romance. Lexie and her new bestie have some amazing scenes full of banter, support, and downright cuteness overload. It’s so clever that a relationship that started out so volatile in book one is now one of the things that makes this book so lovely to read. L & J forever *insert love heart.
Lexie and her girlfriend Sophia are reunited, they work hard to let go of what they’ve been through and build their trust. The chemistry is still off the charts and Noyes gives us lots of delicious, steamy, sweet romance to make up for lost time. This pair are beautiful together, I adore how much Sophia grounds Lexie and accepts her for who she is. It’s lovey, mushy, and swoony. I’m here for it all.
The not-a-spy-not-espionage theme carries on, and there is a scene with a menstrual cup that had me laughing out loud. Plus all that thrilling suspense is present and accounted for.
Heads Up
Scene with a gun that may be a trigger.
The Conclusion
When I say I love this book, it’s an under-exaggeration. I finished it, felt bereft so read it again, then went back and read my favourite parts. I have a huge book hangover and it’s taken me ages to write this review because I don’t want it to be all over. If you love books that have a great plot that’s thrilling, romantic, clever, and funny, then this one is for you. This is book three in the series and I highly recommend reading Integrity and Leverage before this one. Lexie’s story is brilliant and you won’t want to miss any of it.
Lexie Martin is one of my new favourite characters. She’s intelligent, witty, strong, and loyal, she is the definition of imperfectly perfect. Her journey has been rough and at times had me on the edge of my seat. I’ve adored getting to know her and feel like I’m saying goodbye to a friend.
Loyalty is equal parts, exciting, thrilling, suspenseful, angsty, romantic, and funny – it’s perfect and exceeded my expectations, and believe me, my expectations were high. I couldn’t love it more. I know there are no plans for further books in this series. but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Noyes will revisit Lexie, Sophia, and the gang in the future I have hope, I live on it ~ Miranda Priestly. However, if that doesn’t happen this story is the perfect ending for a new beginning.
This series is a must-read from me, give it a go, you won’t be sorry.
Excerpt from Loyalty by E.J. Noyes
I’d spent hours at work liaising with Derek about my new role, and when I wasn’t at work, I was Googling passwords, pass phrases, encryption, brute-forcing encryption, and everything else I could think of that might pertain to my new task. And in my scant free time, I’d tried to wrangle my feelings about my father’s secret life. A secret life that was adjacent to my professional life. So far, my feelings had slipped the lasso every single time.
Half of Wednesday was spent getting my tickets to give me access to this new program, which was basically staring at a classified computer, reading documents about what I’d be working on, then signing more documents to pinkie swear I wouldn’t disclose what I knew. Of course I had, and had had, access to other Secret and Top Secret programs, but because this was an entirely new one—a new one that had files about my father that were still classified—I had to be read in to it.
On Thursday morning, I’d given Lennon a list of equipment for my new workspace, and by Friday morning, he’d delivered. When I let myself into the fifth-floor office, piles of brand-new furniture, electronics, kitchen amenities, and tech equipment were stacked neatly around the room. Geez, couldn’t have had the office set up for me, could you, Lennon? And given Jeffrey’s uncooperative spine, I’d be dragging these desks into position by myself. Don’t mind me, just the lead on one of the most important tasks of the century and I’m doubling as a mover.
Because it’d been converted from one of the smaller conference rooms, my office had a fridge/freezer in the tiny kitchenette, as well as plenty of space for desks, conferencing, and even a spot I’d designated my Zen Zone for meditation—hard to do yoga in work clothes. When Lennon first showed me the space on Wednesday afternoon, I’d raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you trying to keep me in here all day by giving me everything I want?”
And Lennon had chuckled. “Of course not. We just thought it would be nice for you to have whatever you might need in here. Being comfortable and relaxed results in good work.” And he’d done everything to ensure just that. I checked off everything on my list—all accounted for—then decided it was time to get down to business. If I’d known I’d be
spending most of the day moving heavy things around, I would have dressed down a little. I pulled off my blazer and rolled up the sleeves of my seafoam-green linen button-up, ready to haul around and arrange some furniture. And there was a lot of furniture to haul around and arrange. The only thing already in place was a safe—big enough to hold a few file boxes—bolted to the wall in the corner. The door was open and instructions for setting biometric and numerical locks rested on top.
I’d just unwrapped my new leather executive chair and plonked down in it—hey, if I was going to be responsible for uncovering possibly one of the biggest cadres of foreign operatives in the United States, my ass and back deserved comfort—when someone knocked on the door. Given the office was unmarked (shame, I could have had Lexie’s Code Cracking Club on the door), it could only be one of three people. I was surprised to see Lennon rather than Derek or Jeffrey, because “I thought you had an access card for this office,” I said once I’d closed the door behind him.
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Series: Halcyon Devision
Loyalty
Bits and Bobs
ISBN number:978-1642475401
Publisher: Bella Books
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